Latch strike



Feb. 25, 1.930.l L. OTTINGER LTC STRIKE Filed April 14, 1927 INVENTOR Jion relative to the pivotal.l axis of the dog Figure 5 is a perspective view of thevstrike i v f its normal vposition and repress the latch bolt. purposes of illustration, I have shown a por- 9 Patented Feb.p2,ll9.u'50 A, i v y i.

"LEON oTrINGiiR, oF- NEW Yoan, 1\`T.Y. l

Y LATCH STRIKE y vApplication led Aprl'lll, 1927. "Serial No.183,668.

This invention relates to latch strikes, and able in operation and which requires no radi- .While of more or less rgeneral application, is cal changes in thelusual form of strike'plate especiallyy designed 'forluse in'connection with and may also be readily applied to the door 'door latches for automobiles and similar pillarifor'cooperation with the latch without vehicles. v i I necessitating any structural changes in-the 55 It is the primary object and purpose yofniy latter. f j

, inventionto provide means associated with `VVith-the above and otherobjects in view, the'strike plate and operated bythe pressure the'invention consists in the improved latch I ofthe latch bolt whenthe same is projected strike and in the'form, construction'and rela'- ,1 0 under theforce of the latch spring to crowd tive arrangement of its several parts as lwill `601 the door to its closed position and prevent be hereinafter 'more fully described, illusrattling and which' will also obviate the postrated vin the accompanying drawings, and

' sibility of repression ofthe bolt and the open-l subsequently incorporated in the subj oined Y, ing of the door by the accidental application claim'.

of pressure againsttheinner side of the latter. In the drawings, whereinI have'illustrated 55 It is. amore particular object of the inseveral simple and practical embodiments I vention to provide keeperlmeansfor the latch of they device, and in which similar ,referbolt mountedupon thedoor pillarfand Vemence characters designate corresponding parts bodying a latch-plate having aldolg pivotallyl throughout kthe several views-.- Y

zo'mounted in. one end thereof adapted'tof-be Figure l is horizontl sectional view 70 engaged and actuated by the projectedl latch through part of a'pillarand the free edge bo t against the force of asuitable spring' of -a vehicle door illustrating o'neembodi`V tending to hold the dog in anormal position, ment of my present improvements and show- 2 and said dog being providedwithaneccentric ing the door in a partly open 'p'ositiorgfiVv 5 or cam partadapted'to eXert abearing pres- Figure 2'is ya similar view,v the. door being 75 sure against the `outer face of the bolt inthe shown'I in its fully ,closedposition;k

movement of saiddog ,tol thereby crowd'the -Figure 3 is a front -faceview of the latch bolt and the doortoits vclosed position. The strike; l e form of. this cam or eccentric andpits locaf Figure 4 is agrearface view-thereof;-v

constitutes van' important feature 'of my plate; l f v present disclosure, since as a result thereof, f Figure 6 is a perspective viewcf the crowdthepoint of applicationfof pressure by the ingdog, and. ff Y cam against the outer vface of thebolt is ap-V Figure7 is a vdetail vertical sectional View proximately on aline with the pivotal axis Vshowing a slightly modified form of thede- Y ofthe dogand extendss'ubstantially at right vice as applied in'connection ,with the latch angles .to the length ofthe bolt, thus obviat of .a door of a cupboard or the like.. ing'anytendency of outward pressure by the Referring in ,detail `to the drawing, and g bolt against said cam to rock the dog towards more particularly to Figs. 1.to16 thereof, for.

It is also another vobjectlof my invention tion of a door pillar fand the free vertical to provide Va keeper meansof the.y above conledge portionof the door 6 which is adapted structionA to cooperate with' the; .latch vbolt to close against .said pillan. As herein y. Q which will however, permit of the free and shown, this door at its iOut'ensideis vpro` Y 'easyretractingv movement ofthe latch bolt vided with aY laterally projecting flange? to upontheactuation'ofthe latch handle.-y Acontact against the outersidehface of the 7 It is a further .general object of my invenpillar when the door is in its closed position. tionv to provide a device forthe above purpose However, this arrangement` vmay bereversed E inwhichthe several partsY arey of. simple and if desired, andthe stop flange 7; provided on inexpensive construction, positive and relithe` y"pillar In' the inner side face ofthe door, the latch 8 having the usual spring projected bolt 9 is mounted. This latch may be of any conventional or approved construction.

The side face of the door pillar opposed to the door opening is provided withy a suitable mortise indicated at 10, extending transversely of the pillar. Within this mortise the strike plate 11 is positioned, said plate having its rear face in contact with the base wall of the mortise to which said plate is secured by means of the screws indicated at 12. rIhe front side face of the strike plate is provided with the Vusual stepped inclinedk surfaces 13 and 14 respectively, Vand the countersinks of the screw receiving openings 15 are preferably formed in the longer inclined surface 13 of the plate with which the latchbolt first engages as the door is moved'to its closed position.V

The inner end of the strike plate 11 bifurcated as `shown at 16, the parts of the plate at the opposite sides thereof being provided with aligned transverse openings 17 to receive the pivot pin 18.

Upon the pin'18 in the bifurcation 16 of the strike plate, the bolt crowding dog 19 is loosely mounted for pivotal or rocking movement. This dog is formed with a finger 20 which projects from the bifurcation 16 beyond the inner end face ofthe strike plate, vthe louter side face 21 of said linger extending substantially radially of the pivotal aXis of the dog. At its inner pivoted end, this dog is formed with an eccentric or cam portion 22 projecting forwardly of the face 21 of the bolt engaging finger and normally positioned as seen in 1 of the drawings within the bifurcation 16 of the strike plate. Y

The bolt crowding dog is yieldingly held inV its normal position by means of a suitable spring, and for this purpose, I have herein shown a leaf spring 23 positioned within a longitudinal groove or channel 23 formed in the rear side of the strike plate and fixed at one of its endsto said plate by means of the screw 24. The other or free end of this leaf spring projects into the bifurcation 16 and bears againstthe rear side of the dog at. a point beyond the pivotal axis thereof so as to normally hold the dog in position with its finger 20 projecting beyond the inner end of the strike plate at a slight forward inclination relative to the pivot 18. rthis free end ofithe latch spring is preferably provided with an angular bend or a shoulder 25 therein with which theiinner end of the dog is adapted to engage, said shoulder acting as a stop to limit the outward or forward rocking movement of the dog.

In the operation of the device .above described, as the door 6 ismoved to its closed position, after the bolt is first repressed against the action of the latch spring by striking against the outer inclined surface 13 coming the action of the leaf'spring 23 and rocking-the dog on the pivot 18 to substantially the position seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this rocking movement of the dog, the eccentric or cam portion 22 thereof exerts 4an inward bearing pressure against the outer face of the latch bolt, said cam portion of the dog projecting from the bifurcation 16 beyond the vinner end of the strike plate. Thus, the bolt and the dcorvare positively. crowded to the closed position and the free edge of the door is held tightly against the door pillar so that noisy rattling Vdue to vibration will be entirely obviated. Further, it will be noted from reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the pointof pressure of the face of the cam-or eccentric 22 against the outer face of the bolt is approximately .on a line with the pivotal axis of the dog eX- tending transversely of the door and at approximately right angles to the length of the bolt. Therefore, it will be evidenty that any pressure against the inner face of the door will be transmitted through the bolt to the crowding dog in line with the aXis of the dog and such pressure will therefore, not have a tendency to reverse the pivotal movement of the dog and thus cause the finger 20 to repress the latch bolt. Therefore, it will be seen that the door` is at all times tightly held by thecrowding dog in its closed positionand liability of the repression of the bolt and the accidental opening of the door by such pressure against the inner side'thereof is prevented. f

In Fig, 'l' of the drawings, I have shown `an application of my present improvements to a cupboard .door or thelike, in which the latch 8 is mounted in the upper edge of the door 6" and the strike plate 11 Vis secured in a mortise in the upperedlge of the door casing. In this case, the strikeplate 11 is provided with a stop shoulder 25" at the base of the bifurcation inV the end thereof' to limit the gravity movement of the dogto its normal position. Under the pressure ofthe latch bolt projected by the Vlatch spring', said dog is actuated in the manner above explained to crowd the door to its closed position and upon the retraction of the bolt to open the door, the dog drops by gravity lto its normal position. Thus in this instance, the use ofthe Y spring 23 above referred to may be eliminate From the foreseins desrlpton .coiisldered in Connection with the acclimpeiyng draw` tween the partsof said "dogandthe bolt is o ing, the'construction of 'improved keeper 'means for door latches, as Well as the several advantages thereof in practical use Will be clearly understood. 'It Will be apparent that by the provision of the crowding dog having the-bolt engaging finger and the cam or ecj centric portion, a very positive co-action beassured and the latch bolt and the door are thereby cro'vvded towards the closed position l under the' force of the latch spring.,A Also,

A as above explained, it Will be seen that vthe dog is movable from its crowdingy position i only upon the positive reaction of the bolt by I plate, but I also obviate the possibility of se' rious accidents due to the accidental opening the operation of the rlatch handle. Therefore,

vI obtain not onlythe lprevention of rattling of the door or the latch bolt'against the latch of the door` by pressure against the inner side thereof causing the latch bolt to be repressed j and disengaged from the strike plate. My'

invention is ,particularly desirable for use in connection With automobile door latches as it requires no alterationwhatever 'in the customary construction ofthe latchj or of the door pillar. Also, the necessary changes in the conventional typeof strike plate required for the application of my invention thereto are relatively simple and'may be made at comparatively small cost.

While I have herein shown and described f several embodiments of the ldevice which are believed to be entirely practical for the purpose in View, it` Will nevertheless, be under. stood that the essential features of my vpres- 'ent improvements may valso be incorporated in various otheralternative structures, and

Aof and intersecting the pivotal'aXis, and an elongated portion AVhaving an inclined plane I 'accordingly reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the parts thereof vas 4may be fairly embodiedthe invention Within the'spirit and'scope of as claimed.

I claim f,

having a spring projected latch bolt, of a keeper lprovided with a pivotally mounted f dog having a cam lportion Avvhich When the door is closed exerts pressure against the bolt perpendicular to the line' of projection theresurfacemaking edge Contact with the entering edge of said bolt and exertingpressure against said edge in substantially the line of projection of said blt to facilitate its retraction.v

- In testimony my inventionI have signed my name hereto.

y LEON OTTINGER.

that I claim the foregoing as 

